Erich Kästner (1899–1974) wrote his novel Annaluise and Anton (Pünktchen und Anton) in 1931, two years after the publication of his first and best-known children's novel Emil and the Detectives which remains hugely popular even today.  Kästner followed up on his success with The 35th of May (1931), The Flying Classroom (1933), The Animals' Conference (1949), Lisa and Lottie (1949) and many others. Even when writing for children, Kästner was primarily a political writer. His stories for children reflect his social optimism based on the belief that every new generation has a potential to change the world. It is characteristic of his fiction for children that it is set in real time and place.
When asked about Annaluise and Anton he once famously said that "this story is most unusual because it is unusual to begin with, and because it really happened".

Its main protagonists are called Annaluise and Anton. Annaluise's father is a well-to-do company director who seeks escape from domestic problems in his job, while her mother is totally preoccupied by spending money. Whenever faced with a problem, she gets a splitting headache. Annaluise is looked after by her minder, Miss Piety, who is prone to drinking and often ends up bullied by her fiancé Robert Devilish.
Anton is being raised by a single mother who is very ill. During her illness, Anton, who is an only son, has to take care of his family's finances and consequently falls back on his schoolwork.
Annaluise has too much of everything, but is lacking terribly on her parents' love and attention. Anton, on the other hand, has to grow up quickly and start earning money. Still, his home is filled with love and emotional warmth. Annaluise and Anton get to know each other one night when Anton is selling shoelaces and matches at the Fisherman's Bridge in order to raise some money. Annaluise is forced to sell matches by her drunken minder who has to provide her sly fiancé Robert with money. Annaluise is having great fun selling matches, while Anton, who has to sell buttons to make ends meet, hates late night begging. Robert Devilish has evil plans that are luckily thwarted by Anton's bravery.
Annaluise and Anton soon become close and inseparable friends in spite of their different social backgrounds. They are totally oblivious of their seemingly unbridgeable social differences and realize quickly that life is much more enjoyable and simpler when it is shared.

Annaluise and Anton is a story about love and honest friendship, but also about the inability of money to make people feel happy and loved. However, money can make one's life simpler and less worrisome.
Although it was written more than eighty years ago, the story remains topical and intriguing. Parents of today hardly have any time for their children, or they are often too lazy to spend quality time with them. Children are left to their own devices or in the care of irresponsible and incompetent minders; bad guys are desperate to win ill-gotten money and take advantage of naive children. Many children have to grow up too quickly because of their parents' financial troubles, and are therefore robbed of their carefree childhood.

Erich Kästner once said:  "Most people lay aside their childhood just like a worn-out hat. They forget it as if it were a phone number that no longer exists. Once they used to be children, then they grew up, but what are they really? Only a person who grew up but remains a child is a human being."